


here sometimes

by fonulyn



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Dancing, Slow Dancing, a sleepy 3 am moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28714503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fonulyn/pseuds/fonulyn
Summary: Joe doesn’t even flinch when there are arms wrapped around him from behind, a chin propped up on his shoulder and a warm body pressed along the line of his back. He knows who it is before he even looks, all these centuries have made sure that he would recognize the other half of his soul anywhere. Nicky makes a sleepy sound as he tilts his head and buries his nose against Joe’s neck, and he sounds so grumpy about being awake that Joe can’t help but laugh softly.“What is this?” he asks, amusement dancing in his tone. “You are the insufferable morning person, shouldn’t you enjoy this?”--Or the one wherein they have a sleepy three am dance.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 18
Kudos: 139
Collections: All and More (18+) Kaysanova Gift Bag 2020





	here sometimes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Imoshen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imoshen/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Imoshen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imoshen/pseuds/Imoshen) in the [All_and_More_Gift_Bag_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/All_and_More_Gift_Bag_2020) collection. 



> sooo I am perpetually tired and enjoy slow sleepy moments, so from the prompts I went with the sleepy cuddles and slow dancing! I hope you enjoy!

The floorboards are cool against Joe’s bare feet as he pads across the living room to the window, carefully cradling the coffee mug between his palms. It’s silent now, in the early morning hours, everyone else fast asleep. Even Andy has vacated the big, plush armchair she is so fond of, probably crashing in one of the spare bedrooms. It’s one of the biggest safehouses they have, with four bedrooms, although it’s not like all of them are ever in use. 

It’s dark outside, even the closest houses some paces away, their silhouettes visible against the night sky. There’s a light in one of the windows and it makes Joe smile, as he thinks of who else might be awake at this hour, enjoying the stillness of the world. He takes a long sip of his coffee, focusing on how it warms him from the inside on the way, and lets his eyes slip shut. 

Joe doesn’t even flinch when there are arms wrapped around him from behind, a chin propped up on his shoulder and a warm body pressed along the line of his back. He knows who it is before he even looks, all these centuries have made sure that he would recognize the other half of his soul anywhere. Nicky makes a sleepy sound as he tilts his head and buries his nose against Joe’s neck, and he sounds so grumpy about being awake that Joe can’t help but laugh softly. 

“What is this?” he asks, amusement dancing in his tone. “You are the insufferable morning person, shouldn’t you enjoy this?” He knows the answer before it even comes, but that doesn’t stop him from asking, his heart doing a silly little roll in his chest as he waits for the reply. 

“This isn’t morning,” Nicky answers in a sleepy drawl. “It’s three. No one in their right mind starts their day before _five_.”

The answer pulls another laugh from Joe and he relaxes back into the embrace, reveling in the way Nicky’s arms tighten around him. He lifts the coffee mug in question, but Nicky shakes his head a little, and so Joe takes another sip himself. “I missed you,” Nicky says softly, and they both know how nonsensical the statement is, considering that Joe was away for maybe an hour and Nicky was asleep for most of it. It doesn’t make it any less true, though. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Joe hums in response, considering his answer. He woke up restless, unable to stay still and unwilling to wake Nicky up because of it. So he slipped out of bed and made coffee – this was his second cup already –puttered around the kitchen and took stock of the fridge, busied himself with small tasks from sharpening the knives to rearranging the pantry. It did the trick, calmed him down, despite the caffeine. “I could sleep now,” he says. 

It’s only then that Joe realizes Nicky is slowly swaying while holding him, as if he’s dancing to nonexistent music. Joe smiles, tilting his head so it rests on Nicky’s shoulder. “What are you doing?” he asks, but Nicky doesn’t answer, not unless you count the small grin that suddenly curves his lips. He grabs Joe’s hip in one hand, his shoulder in another, and almost easily spins him around until they’re facing each other. He grabs the coffee mug next, extracting it from Joe’s grip and setting it down on the table. 

There are countless things Joe loves about this man, but the way he can go from sleepy and barely coordinated to taking control of not only himself but the overall situation so easily, that is fairly high on the list. Bursting with the sudden joy, Joe lets Nicky take the lead, and then they’re slowly waltzing around the couch. There’s no music but they don’t need it, not when they’re so attuned to one another that they could as well share the same consciousness at moments like this. 

It doesn’t last long, and as if in a silent agreement they slow down and come to a halt. “Sleep now?” Nicky asks, pressing his nose against Joe’s cheek. He makes a face, Joe can feel it, so he’s probably suppressing a yawn. 

They make it all the way to the bedroom without properly detaching from each other, and somehow even in bed and under the covers so that there’s never a moment in which they’re not touching. It’s like the sleepier their brains get, the more they keep circling each other without being fully conscious about it. Nicky ends up half on top of Joe, a leg pushed between Joe’s thighs, and he cranes his neck enough to brush their noses together. 

Joe takes that as a sign and kisses Nicky, slowly and with focus, his fingertips trailing up Nicky’s cheek and to his temple. The touch makes Nicky hum contentedly into the kiss, and he moves to slip one hand underneath Joe’s shirt, splaying his fingers wide against his abdomen. There’s determination in the touch, but at the same time he almost forgets to kiss Joe back, his mouth going slack in a way that Joe has no trouble deciphering. 

So Joe pulls back, breaks the kiss even if it makes Nicky whine a little in the back of his throat. “Nicolo,” he whispers, pressing his smile against Nicky’s temple. “I love you more than life itself. But do not start anything you will not be able to finish.”

Nicky makes a protesting sound, but he’s more asleep than awake already. With a surprising show of lucidity he kisses Joe again, fierce and almost a touch possessive, but then he’s snuggling close against him again, his hand still up Joe’s shirt and his face pressed against Joe’s neck. He says something, but what that something is, that not even Joe can decipher. 

“Sleep,” Joe says softly, tilting his head so he can press a soft kiss atop Nicky’s head. “I’m here.”

Honestly, Nicky probably doesn’t even hear the words anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> am also [on tumblr](https://fonulyn.tumblr.com/) if you wanna come say hi! :)


End file.
